by Gabi Moore
“What you need to understand,” he continued, “is that each of these elementals has a particular stone which attracts them. The gemstone, which appeals most to the salamanders, is a fire opal, as I have said. I’m going to send you back close to a jewelry store where you can get what you need to counter anything they try to do without causing a bonfire. Just be careful because opals crack if you drop them and a broken gemstone will have no functionality.”
“Got it,” Dion said.
“Thanks for your help, Edward,” Lilly said to him. She got up, walked over to Edward’s chair and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He tried hard not to blush.
“Be gone, my lions!” he said and they vanished.
The light resumed around Dion and company to reveal themselves back in the mall. They were in another store. Not the big department store from where there was no escape, but another one. This was a small store in the main red elemental section where the concourse was easily visible from the window. They blinked and looked around.
The man behind the counter looked at them in fascination. He was bored that day, but the universe burped five seconds ago when four young people materialized into his store. He was the only one to see them because he’d been left alone by his manager. One minute he stood there and wondered when someone would come into the store and buy something, the next he faced four young kids. Either a miraculous event just took place or he was on the point of losing his mind. He betted on the second option.
Dion looked around and decided to make sure. “Is this the Fromatius Mall?” he asked the man behind the counter.
There was no point in denying what just took place. The man was there when they transferred in from Edward’s study outside the time circle. Dion needed to make sure was that it was the right time circle.
“Yes it is,” the man told them. “And you are on Earth. Do you want me to call the president?”
Dion starred at him in disbelief. This one was going to be a challenge. “No,” he told the man. “That will not be necessary. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
“Hiram,” he told Dion. “Hiram Abendroff. Are you from the other side?”
‘No, we are from down the road. You possibly noticed our sudden appearance. It’s from a test being conducted and you need to keep it quiet. Top-secret government stuff. What do you sell here?”
“We are the finest tableware company in the country,” Hiram boasted. “You will find five place settings, seven place settings, fork, spoons, kitchen knives, pie knives and dish packs. If it needs to be on the table, we can supply it for you.”
Dion and his friends began to look over the selection of forks and spoons in the store. Most were laid out in a display case where they could be picked up and examined. Most had numbers stamped on the back.
“So what’s with the numbers on the back of the silverware?” Sean asked.
“Tableware,” Hiram corrected. “Nothing we make here is from silver. You are using the wrong term. What we sell is made from stainless steel. The numbers you see show the percentage of nickel and other alloys used in the manufacture of the steel.”
“Thanks,” Sean told him. “I learn something new every day.”
“I thought, perhaps, you might be from the other side because his return was predicted a long time ago,” Hiram continued. “You made me hope he was about on his way back and you a vanguard.”
Now all of them turned and starred at the little man behind the counter. Finally, it was Emily’s turn to speak.
“We didn’t mean to startle you, sir. Exactly what are you talking about?”
“This company, Anita Tableware, was founded by the Reverend Charles Obadiah over a hundred years ago. He was a minister who predicted his return from the other side someday. We have suffered through much to keep this company running because we want to be here when he returns so he can use it as a base of operations.”
“I see,” Dion said to him. “So you expect him to return from death and reestablish himself on Earth?”
“He never left a successor. The church became a corporation fifty years ago when we decided his time to return might be longer than we hoped. Since then, we have established stores across the world which sell our fine tableware.”
“I have to admit,” Lilly said as she picked up a butter knife, “they do look good. I like this style. How many do you have?”
“Four hundred and thirty-six,” he told her. “What you are looking at now was personally designed by the Reverend’s senior wife. She spent five months working on the pattern with his other wives until they came up with the design. It’s one of my personal favorites.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but we are merely human,” Dion said. “Just don’t talk too freely about what you saw. Like I said, top secret.”
“Of course. I will wait for another day to come. We have waited a long time, I can wait much longer.”
They thanked him for his time and quickly vanished out the door.
“Well, that was more than a little odd,” Sean said to his friends. “I guess he thought the prophet had returned and it was us.”
“Must’ve been quite a let-down,” Lilly said. “I could see the disappointment in his face.”
“He’ll go on hoping,” Emily said. “I wonder if he’ll spend the rest of his life waiting. I’m sure many people already have.”
“Sometimes the waiting is the most important thing,” Dion said to his companions as they headed down the hall. “So long as people like him have something to look forward to, they have a reason to get up in the morning. It’s easy to laugh at them, in spite of what we’ve already seen here, but so many people don’t have a reason to live, I’m glad when I run into someone who does. As for me, I still need to obtain full powers for the fourth element of fire.”
“But anyway,” Dion continued, “the next thing we have to do is find the jewelry store which sells the fire opal. It was supposed to be around here. At least Edward promised us we’d be dropped near the place that sold them.”
They stopped and looked around.
The concourse was full of stores and it was difficult to tell which one was a jeweler’s at a distance. The scanned the line of stores. Meanwhile, the shoppers continued to walk past them.
“I’ve hated shopping ever since I was a kid,” Sean told Dion as he kept one hand on Emily.
“Why is that? “ Sean asked him. He peered down one side of the concourse where it seemed one of the stores might be a jeweler.
“I saw Santa Clause wipe blood off a kid.”
Dion whipped around. “What did you just say?”
“I was six years old at the time but I never forgot what I saw,” Sean told him. “It was Christmas and we were in my dad’s car waiting for my mom to come out of one of the department stores at a plaza. There was a guy inside playing Santa Claus for the holidays. Kids would go in with their parents and get their picture made. Some kid broke away from his parents and hit a glass window, busting his head. Then Santa Claus went over and fixed a bandage to his head while they waited for the ambulance to show up. I hear the kid turned out all right, the head wound looked much worse than it really was, but you can imagine the shock to a kid who had to see that. I’ll be a lot of kids continued to believe in Santa Claus for years longer than they normally did.”
“I don’t think I ever had a Christmas memory that was bad,” Dion said.
“There it is!” Lilly shouted and pointed down the concourse. “I see it!” They turned in the direction she pointed to see a large plastic diamond turn on an axis over a store.
It only took them a few minutes to reach the store, even while they constantly checked for any signs of security guards it the background. There were none, at least no one interfered with them and they reached the jewelry store without trouble.
Once inside they were greeted by a tall man in his twenties who was dressed in a suit and tie.
“Thank you for coming into Plus Diamonds,” he told them. “Is
there something special I can help you find?”
“I’m looking for a fire opal,” Dion said. “Do you carry those?”
“I believe we do.” The man slid behind a counter. He extended a hand to Dion. “Ted, I’m the manager at this branch.”
“Glad to meet you, Ted, I’m Dion and these are my friends.”
Ted unlocked the glass case with a key on his ring and pulled out a selection of them mounted on a small rack. He sorted through the gemstones on the rack and pulled a ring off after he’d glanced at them carefully.
“This is one of two rings we have and it is in a sterling silver setting. Note the fine work that has gone into its construction. We can have it sized to specification, but it will take a week because our jeweler comes by every three days. I can size you right now or you can bring it back later to have it done with a sales slip.” He handed the ring to Dion.
Dion held it to the light and looked at the pattern in the opal. It was a brilliant red and just what he needed according to Edward. He gave it to Lilly to try on. It fit her to perfection. The ring matched the glow on her face. Lilly went over to mirror on the counter and examined it on her hand. She turned and smiled at Dion.
“I’ll take it,” Dion told the manager.
“Good, an excellent choice. Let’s take it to the counter and I’ll ring the sale and get you a box for it.”
It only took a few more minutes for them to conclude the transaction and soon Lilly was leaving the store with the ring on her finger.
“You see,” the manager said to one of his clerks who’d come out of the back room after the sale was finished, “this is why I like my job. You saw the look on her face? The glow lit up the entire store.”
“I thought we’d never sell that thing,” the clerk replied to him. “It’s been in the case for the past five months. At least I don’t have to count it tonight for inventory.”
“So this ring will repel the fire elementals,” Lilly said as she held it up to the light while they walked down the concourse. “Thank you for giving it to me, Dion. I know you bought it for protection, but I’m glad you allowed me to wear it just the same.”
“I can’t imagine anyone more deserving,” he said. “You’ve been with me all the way through this quest. I just want to finish getting my parents back.” He stroked her cheek and she looked up at him with big eyes.
“So when do we get to see the ring in use?” Sean asked Dion. “I didn’t get to see you take out the bull on the first day. Will it work something like that?”
“It depends on the elemental,” Dion said. “My guess is that it puts them in a holding pattern, but we’ll know the first time any of the fire elementals makes a run at me.”
‘I think we might just find out real soon,” Emily said. “Look to your right.”
Coming down the side passage was a detachment of five of the new security guards. All wore the same grey uniforms they’d noticed earlier and had a build close enough to each other to be family. The red-haired guards marched down the hall, carefully sliding past the shoppers and doing their best not to be noticeable.
Shoppers turned with curiosity and agitation as the guards marched past them. A group of uniformed men was bound to attract attention. Several young mothers grumbled and pulled their kids out of the way as they guards slid past. A few more shoppers stopped to try to figure out where they were headed. One man jumped out of the way so he wouldn’t collide with them.
“You think we should move?” Sean asked Dion. “I get the funny feeling they’re headed for us.”
Dion started to agree and turned to see three more coming from the north of the main concourse. This group, also with red hair and wearing the grey uniforms, were focused on him. There was no question the elemental security guards wanted to capture them. Lilly’s fire opal ring was about to be put to a trial run.
Dion considered using the censer, but there were too many people in the concourse. He still didn’t know if it would create a wall of fire when activated. He might lure them outside and try to use it where the heat wouldn’t be a problem. Dion turned and looked for an exterior door to the parking lot, but couldn’t find one. He would have to try to use the ring. Edward claimed the fire elementals could be bound by the use of it.
Time to find out.
“Hello, gentlemen,” Dion said to the elementals as they surrounded him. “I don’t see Officer Karanzen anywhere. Is he still employed by the mall?”
“I haven’t been fired yet,” a familiar voice announced through the crowd. They looked up to see Karanzen pushing his way through the group of shoppers that surrounded them. He was wearing the same uniform from yesterday. Whoever had brought the elemental guards in hadn’t insisted he change his uniform to meet the new style.
“Did I tell you guys to do this?” he said to the guards in grey. “In case you haven’t been informed, I am still the post lieutenant and you take your orders from me.”
“You didn’t summon us,” the guard nearest to Karanzen said. “Therefore you do not tell us what to do. We were instructed to isolate these four. They are now isolated. We await further instructions on what to do with them.”
“Are you as stupid as you look?” Karanzen asked him. “You’re causing a major scene here in the mall. Now get out of the way, I’ll deal with them, it’s my job. You are scaring the shoppers with your attitude.”
The guard bent over to Karanzen and looked directly in his eyes.
Karanzen was back in Korea. He huddled under a snow-covered slope. In the distance, there was rifle fire and he could hear voices in Mandarin all about him.
Dion watched as the security chief went into a catatonia. Whatever the elementals could do, it was tied into whoever summoned them. He betted on his uncle, but did his uncle know about the power of a fire opal?
“Lilly,” Dion whispered to her. “Your ring. Raise it up so they can see it.”
Lilly stepped forward and brought her hand into the air. The gemstone in the ring caught the light from the window and tossed a reflection across the fire elemental salamanders as it struck them. Now Dion and his friends would find out what it could do.
All seven of them froze as the plastic bull had done days earlier. But unlike the plastic bull, they walked forward to Lilly and fixed their gaze on the ring. Like the bull, all of them were mesmerized and fixed their attention on the fire opal. The guard who’d stared at Karanzen turned to it and his eyes glazed over.
“Tell them to safely leave the corridor,” Dion further whispered to Lilly. “Safely. I don’t want any burning pillars.”
“You see this ring?” she asked them to be sure. All of the guards nodded to her.
“Return from where you came in safety,” she commanded. “There are to be no fires.”
There was a pop and the security guards were gone. The shoppers who were gathered around shook their heads, unable to believe people could leave so quickly. They glanced around, saw no circle of guards and went about their business.
“Where did they go?” Karanzen asked them, still coming out of his gaze. He too glanced around and didn’t see a thing.
“Lilly sent them away,” Dion told them. “Guess they listened to some of us.”
Karanzen grumbled about amateurs who tried to upstage him and walked away. The four stood in place and watched him leave.
“Still leaves more of them,” Dion said. “If they were summoned, it had to be in a group of twelve.”
“So there are more salamanders out there?” Sean asked him.
“Yes, and my uncle can get more if he wants to do so. He can get just about all he needs until I have full powers. There isn’t much we can do to stop him, but it will take him some time. If he knows what happened, and we can assume he did, he’ll be ordering up some more fire elementals. I don’t know how effective the ring is against more than seven at a time, but I’m speculating it’s not good for real big groups. We may find out soon enough.”
Chapter 11
Karanz
en slammed the door to the antechamber where his office was located and walked inside. He looked at the empty secretary’s desk and wondered when they would hire one for him. Right now, everything clerical went through the clock tower and no one was allowed into Seth Bach’s Holy of Holies. It was written into the rental contracts that no one was allowed into the “Central Administrative Center” unless given written permission from upper management. There was a small office outside it where a staff processed payroll all day and did the legal dance needed to keep the various local governments happy, but no one even considered approaching the clock tower interior.
He opened the door to his office and started to walk inside when he heard a cough from inside. Karanzen reached for the light switch and turned it on to see Matt, Seth Bach’s toadie, sitting behind his desk. Matt had a folder in his hand and Karanzen didn’t have to ask to find out what it meant.
“Hello, Karanzen,” Matt said to him. “I’ve talked this morning to Seth Bach personally and we’re in agreement that you just don’t fit in around here. You have failed repeatedly in an important security task to keep a dangerous group of people from entering this mall. We can no longer afford to keep you as part of this company. You can’t do the most essential part of your job.”
Matt dropped the folder on the desk. “You’ll find all the necessary legal documents in her which will give you a thirty day severance package and allow you time to find another job. I’m sure you will agree this is a most generous offer. All you need to do is sign it and clean out your desk. Take your time cleaning out the desk because I’ve decided to devote the entire day to helping you get your things out of the building.”
Karanzen stood there, unable to believe this smarmy little toad was dismissing him from the mall. There had to be some kind of mistake. He’d talked to Seth Bach recently and no mention was made of instant termination. What was going on here?
